Mortgage Rates Drop to 3-Year Lows

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | MONDAY, MAY 16, 2016

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.57 percent in the most recent week, the lowest average in three years, Freddie Mac reports in its weekly mortgage market survey.

"Disappointing April employment data once again kept a lid on Treasury yields, which have struggled to stay above 1.8 percent since late March,” says Sean Becketti, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “As a result, the 30-year mortgage rate fell 4 basis points to 3.57 percent, a new low for 2016 and the lowest mark in 3 years. Prospective home buyers will continue to take advantage of a falling rate environment that has seen mortgage rates drop in 14 of the previous 19 weeks."

Freddie Mac reports the following national averages with mortgage rates for the week ending May 12:

• 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 3.57 percent, with an average 0.5 point, dropping from last week’s 3.61 percent average. Last year at this time, 30-year rates averaged 3.85 percent.
• 15-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 2.81 percent, with an average 0.5 point, falling from last week’s 2.86 percent average. A year ago, 15-year rates averaged 3.07 percent.
• 5-year hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages: averaged 2.78 percent, with an average 0.5 point, a decrease from last week’s 2.80 percent average. Last year at this time, 5-year ARMs averaged 2.89 percent.

Source: Freddie Mac